I'm wrapping up my time here at Marylhurst, and it has been a great pleasure to participate in the 2004 issue of M Review. One of the things I've enjoyed most at Marylhurst is the diversity of the student body - classmates from age 19 to people even older than I am, and that's getting up there, and companions from virtually every socio-ethnic background.

We got a lot of submissions, and there were some long and sometimes lively discussions over how much and what we could publish. In the end, I'm confident that the work in this issue reflects that diversity of students that is one of the really great characteristics of this university.

Also in this issue you'll find a first: Marylhurst University sponsored a writing competition at Clackamas Community College, and the winners in each of the four categories are published here. Part of the first-place prize was tuition for a writing course at MU, so you may run across one or more of these promising writers in your classes this year. If you do, be sure to congratulate them and tell them you read them here first.

I would be remiss if I didn't say a big "THANK YOU" to the members of the editorial board - Charles Bassi, Margie Doolan, and Pamela Langley - and to Inger Klekacz, who did the graphics and layout for this issue of M Review. Without these people's efforts, this magazine would not have happened, so when you run into one of them, express your appreciation.

Now, we're about to start a brand new school year, and opportunities to write will abound. Keep M Review in mind. We'll look for your name in lights (or at least in HTML code) next time.